Poetry in Translation

Monthly Archives: December 2012

In this episode Montana Ray speaks with Yusef Komunyakaa, Goutam Datta, and Subodh Sarkar about exchanges between US and Bengali poets, including the anthology (edited by Datta) of African American poets translated into Bengali, “Ami Amar Mritur Por Sadhinota Chai Na” (I Do Not Want My Freedom When I Am Dead) and the Kolkata Book Fair. The writers also discuss the relationship between poetry and theater in both New York and Kolkata. And Komunyakaa discusses the praxis of stage-to-page translation of the Sumerian epic Gilgamesh. Finally, the poets discuss the Bengali language as coexisting with other languages within the context of multilingual societies, both in India and internationally.

[Riddle 8]

by Anonymous (from the Exeter Book)

I speak by one mouth a feast of tonguessing through modulations changing quicka heady voice crying out loud my tunecarry my way resound without refrainas an old evening-bard to courtiers bringsmerriment to settlements when I alighting shout my voice to homes they quietly sit there nodding. So tellwhat I am called who like a showgirl jestand imitate with gusto cabaretpromising men much to welcome withmy voice.